Reading preview: Neal Pollack

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Some cringed at the idea of the author of “Never Mind the Pollacks” penning a parenting book, but it turned out “Alternadad” wasn’t so bad after all—actually, it was kind of charming, as Pollack documented the chronicles of raising, along with his wife, their son Elijah. You can gather pretty much all you need from the title and Pollack’s past work—it’s textbook hipster-parenting (well, at least it seems textbook now, as more and more strollers hit Damen and Milwaukee), but with Pollack’s prose it playfully delivers. Elijah goes to rock shows, has a Johnny Cash poster in his room, dances to the Sex Pistols—put it all in the blender and you’ll have a cool kid, which is Pollack’s ultimate desire. “The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature”—his first book—found an audience in satire cult-sters, and “Alternadad” has discovered its own as well. Reportedly, they’re making a movie—who should play Pollack? <I>(Tom Lynch)

Neal Pollack reads from “Alternadad” February 21 at Quimby’s, 1854 West North, (773)342-00910, at 7pm. Free.